Adsorption of cadmium by an aquent New Zealand soil and Its components

Abstract

Cadmium adsorption by a New Zealand soil, three of its particle size fractions, the soil with organic matter removed, and the soil with iron and manganese oxides removed, was studied at the soil's natural pH (5.70) and at cadmium concentrations (0.01 to 0.23 µg mL-1) typical of those found in the environment. Under these conditions, the whole soil had a strong affinity for trace amounts of cadmium, adsorbing about nine-tenths of that added. Relative conditional equilibrium constants for cadmium adsorption by the soil's components decrease in the following order: clay (1.59) > [whole soil (1.00)] > soil without iron and manganese oxides (0.55) > silt (0.54) > sand (0.52) > soil without organic material (0.08) > silica sand (0.001). It is estimated that the <3.9 µm particle size fraction (22% of the soil) and the 3-9-563 pm particle size fraction (78% of the soil), contributed about 45% and 55%, respectively, to the overall capacity of the soil to adsorb cadmium. Most data obtained gives good fits to both linear and Freundlich adsorption isotherms, but is not consistent with the Langmuir adsorption model. Thus it is likely that, under the conditions studied, the soil and its components supply a range of cadmium adsorption sites with varying adsorption energies.